And Then You Kissed Me
by VietAngel
Summary: Friendship, lust, love, marriage, pregnancy, tragedy, birth, new beginnings...this is the story of Alec and Asha.
1. Chapter 1

Title: And Then You Kissed Me (formerly The Story of Us)   
Author: VietAngel   
Rating: R   
Pairings: Alec/Asha, Max/Logan   
Author's Note: I'm finally getting around to putting this story back up. If you've been keeping up with my stories, this is probably nothing new to you. I changed the title because in the time I had this down, someone else posted a story called "The Story of Us", I never felt it fit anyway. This is the first Alec/Asha piece I did, it was originally posted over a year ago but I recently took it down and revamped it a bit (for ratings purposes). I toned down some of the more explicit scenes. If you read it before, feel free to review again. If you haven't, I hope you enjoy it. (By the way, the new title is a Cardigans song).

* * *

Asha groaned as her eyes flickered open, and she took in her surroundings as soon as her eyes focused. She didn't know where she was, her head was pounding, and her body was aching...wait a minute, body aching...now she remembered. She came home with Alec last night 'Oh God, what happened?' she thought as she tried to sit up. Just then Alec entered the room. "About time you decided to wake up. Here, I figured you might need this," he said as he handed her a glass of water and two aspirin. "Thanks," she said as she gratefully accepted his offering. "Listen, about last night..." she started, but Alec interrupted, "Asha, don't worry, nothing happened last night. You fell asleep as soon as you hit the couch." "Oh...good," she said. Alec laughed as he thought about the wave of emotions that crossed her face...from sheer terror, to relief.  
  
Asha decided she should get home, but when she made a move to stand up she found that her sore muscles protested. "Why don't you just hang out here for a while? You don't look like you're in any condition to go home," Alec said. Since nothing happened last night, and she was sober now, she didn't see the harm in it. "I don't have running hot water, but if I boil some, you can take a hot bath...should help ease the ache of sleeping on the couch," Alec offered. "That sounds great, thanks," Asha answered. Alec wasn't being his usual sarcastic and uncaring self, it was a little strange, but it was nice to see that Alec had a good side.  
  
Asha was feeling a lot better after her bath. She wanted to experience more of this side of Alec she had never seen before, so she ended up hanging out with him all day. Later that night, Alec managed to score a pizza and ice cream for dinner. They just talked and laughed, and ate. "Owwww," Asha groaned as she curled into a ball on the couch. "What's wrong?" Alec asked. "My stomach hurts, I think I ate too much," Asha replied with a pained look on her face. Alec laughed. "Awww, poor wittle Asha has a tummy ache. That's what happens when you eat six slices of pizza and three-quarters of a half-gallon of ice cream. Honestly, I don't know how a woman so tiny could put away that much food," he replied. "Ha ha, funny Alec, I'm in pain here," she said, throwing in a pout and puppy dog eyes for good measure. At that point Alec actually became concerned. He went to the kitchen and returned with a glass of ginger ale.  
  
"Here, this should help settle your stomach," Alec said as he sat beside Asha and handed her the glass. They sat in silence for a while, as Asha slowly sipped the drink. "Ugh, it's not really helping much," she said in a voice that sounded near tears. Without a second thought, Alec gently coaxed her to lie on her back with her head in his lap. A look of shock and confusion crossed her face, prompting him to say, "It's ok Asha; I don't bite. I'm just going to try and make you feel better." She just nodded, as Alec took the remote and turned on the TV with one hand, while sliding his hand under her shirt and rubbing her stomach in slow gentle circles with the other.  
  
They sat like that for a few hours, not saying anything, just watching TV. Finally, Asha realized she was feeling better and decided it was time for her to head home. Alec walked her to the door. Just as she was about to walk out she turned and said, "Thank you for everything. You could have taken advantage of me last night but you didn't...and thanks for the bath and the stomach rub too. I really had fun spending time with you." She kissed him on the cheek, then turned and walked out. "Maybe we should do this more often!" Alec yelled after her. She just turned and flashed him a brilliant smile. Alec closed the door and sat back down to watch TV, but he couldn't focus. Asha Barlow was running through his mind. He had spent the whole day with her, with not one sexual advance, not one flirtatious remark, and he loved every minute of it. Maybe he didn't have to be the player all the time; maybe he could actually be friends with a woman.

* * *

It had been weeks since the night they spent together, and Asha and Alec had been spending more and more time together ever since. Just as Alec suspected, they had become great friends. They confided in each other about everything. He told Asha about his feelings for Max, and she told him about her feelings for Logan. Too bad for them, the virus had been cured, and Max and Logan were very much together. One night after Eyes Only had taken down a large crime ring, the whole gang decided to go to Crash to celebrate. Original Cindy, Asha, and Alec were sitting at a table when Max and Logan finally showed up. They walked into the bar hand in hand, looking so happy. Alec saw the sadness on Asha's face as she watched them walk to the table, and his heart nearly broke as he saw her eyes flood with unshed tears. She stared into her beer, hoping they wouldn't fall. There was only one chair left, so Max sat in Logan's lap...that was all Asha could take.  
  
"I have to go to the bathroom," she said as she made a quick exit. "Geez, what's her problem?" Max said. "I'm going to check on her," Alec said, and headed in the direction of the ladies room. "What's going on with them?" Max and Logan said at the same time. They had been so wrapped up in each other, they didn't even notice how close Alec and Asha had become. Alec soon returned to the table, with a red-eyed Asha in tow. "She's not feeling too well guys, I'm going to walk her home," Alec announced to the group. "Sorry to hear that Asha, is there anything we can do?" Logan asked, genuinely concerned for his friend. If only he knew he was responsible for her current state. Asha just shook her head 'no'. With that, she and Alec made their exit.  
  
They walked in silence for a while. Alec sensed that she didn't feel much like talking about whatever it was that was bothering her. Finally, they reached her place. Alec was about to turn and head home when Asha asked him to stay. She still didn't feel like talking, so they just sat on the sofa staring into space. Suddenly, almost out of nowhere, Asha began to sob. Alec instinctively put his arms around her and tried to comfort his friend. "Why doesn't he love me anymore?" she said, her voice wracked with tears. Alec didn't know how to answer that, so he put his arms around her and gently stroked her back to soothe her. Asha's sobbing began to calm down, she tried to choke back the last few tears, and she was finally ready to really talk. She rested her head on Alec's chest, and he stroked her hair.  
  
"He was my first love you know," she said with a sniffle, "We grew up together, it was a fairy tale...childhood friends who fell in love." She chuckled bitterly, "He was my first everything...first friend, first love, first kiss...I even lost my virginity to him. I don't know what happened, we were happy and our parents didn't even mind us being together even though he was a few years older. One day he went off to Yale, I was still in high school, and we started seeing less and less of each other. Then after the pulse I never heard from him again. It's like he forgot all about me, and it just hurts so badly. I never stopped waiting for him; I always believed he would come back for me one day. Hell, I've never even been with another man."  
  
Alec was caught off guard by Asha's last statement. Asha was drop dead gorgeous--tall, slender, beautiful blue eyes, a body that could have come from the mold of Eve herself...all womanly curves and silken skin with the face of an angel. It was hard to believe she didn't have men in and out of her life all the time. She sniffled, wiped away her tears with her sleeve, and soon felt Alec's hand lifting her chin. He looked her straight in the eye and said, "Any man who could give you up, doesn't deserve your love. You're an amazing woman Asha, you're smart, sweet, and beautiful inside and out. He loves you Asha, only a fool wouldn't...it's just that he loves you as a friend now." At that, Asha smiled that gorgeous smile of hers. That's the way Alec liked to see her...happy. It made him smile too. They stayed like that for a few seconds, until Asha's eyes fluttered and she tried to stifle a yawn.  
  
Alec saw this and suggested she get some sleep. He moved to stand up, but she stopped him. "Will you stay with me? I don't want to be alone right now," she said shyly. After getting over the initial shock, he agreed and added, "As long as I'm around, you'll never be alone." She smiled again, and pulled him toward the bedroom. "I can take the couch, I don't mind," he said. She giggled. "Alec we're two adults, who happen to be good friends, we can share a bed without getting freaky. When I said I don't want to be alone I meant I really don't want to be alone," she answered. Satisfied with the arrangement, they headed off to bed. Alec stripped down to his boxers, while Asha went off to the bathroom to change. She returned wearing an old Yale t-shirt he figured used to belong to Logan. He had no idea why, but he felt the slightest bit jealous at the sight, and wondered what she would look like in one of his shirts. 'Stop it Alec she's your best friend' he thought...but god was she gorgeous. He held the covers back for her as she got into bed. When she was all settled, he put an arm around her slender waist and spooned her closer. They quickly drifted off to sleep.  
  
Alec was the first to wake up that morning; transgenics didn't need much sleep. He couldn't sleep anyway with all that cotton soft blonde hair tickling his nose. He was up on one elbow. Asha was sleeping soundly, facing him, with her hair covering her face. He couldn't resist brushing it away, and then he planted a soft kiss on her forehead. Asha stirred slightly, a frown creasing her beautiful face. She slowly opened her eyes, and smiled when she saw that Alec was still there. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you...go back to sleep," he said as he kissed her forehead again. She was still very tired, so she had no problem fulfilling that request. Alec couldn't tear his eyes away from her; she looked so angelic as she slept. Watching her sleep, he had nothing but time to think. He thought about what she meant to him. He had never felt this way about another woman, not since Rachel. He knew Asha didn't feel that way about him though, and it saddened him. They would never be more than just friends. He saw her frown a bit--then there was nothing but the steady, even sound of her breathing.  
  
Asha looked up and smiled when she saw Alec looking down at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you...go back to sleep," he said as he kissed her forehead. She obliged and closed her tired eyes. As she drifted back off to sleep, she thought about what he meant to her. She realized she could fall in love with him; she could easily love him as more than a friend. He was a good man...much more caring than he let on, and of course he was handsome and had a great body. She frowned when she finally realized he didn't feel that way about her. They would never be more than just friends. The only woman he ever loved--could ever love--was Rachel, and she was gone.  
  
After that night, the two friends fell into a routine of sleeping in the same bed. It wasn't sexual, but they enjoyed each other's company so much. They felt so alone when they were away from each other. The needed each other, they made each other happy, they picked each other up when they were feeling down...and that's all that mattered. By this time, even Max and Logan had picked up on Asha and Alec's relationship. Logan never did trust Alec, and he didn't want to see his friend and former girlfriend hurt. He decided to confront Alec and make sure his intentions for Asha were good.  
  
"What did you want to see me about?" Alec said as he entered Logan's apartment. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Asha. I don't know what you're up to, but she's my friend and I don't like it when my friends get hurt," Logan replied. Alec instantly became livid. What the hell did Logan know about their relationship? He hadn't been a real friend to her since he could finally touch Max again. "What the hell do you know about it?! Don't you dare talk to me about hurting Asha, when you're the one who broke her heart!" Alec yelled. "Alec, what the hell are you talking about?" Logan questioned, confusion evident in his eyes. "See, you never gave a shit about her did you? She thought you loved her. You got what you wanted from her, took off for college, and then used the pulse as your opportunity to get rid of her? How could you do that to her?!" Alec said.  
  
Finally, Logan understood. He chose his words carefully before starting, "I did love her, Alec. God I loved her so much. I didn't just leave her...I could never do that. After the pulse hit, I got involved with Eyes Only. I couldn't tell you how many times I thought about going back for her. She was the woman I dreamed of living in a little house with a white picket fence, and having three kids and a dog with. My work with Eyes Only was and still is dangerous. If Asha were to ever get caught in the crossfire of my work I couldn't have survived. That's why I never contacted her again. If I had any way of knowing she would become a freedom fighter, leader of the S1W, and be fighting for the same cause I am I would have taken the chance. I never wanted to lose her, but I didn't think I had a choice. I just wanted to keep her safe."  
  
Alec understood Logan's decision. "She waited for you," Alec stated simply, breaking the awkward silence. "What?" Logan questioned. "She waited for you. She told me she hasn't been with another man since you. She always thought you would come back for her. That day we left Crash after you and Max came in together was the day she realized it was really over. I found her crying in the bathroom because she knew she could never have you," he replied. Logan was crushed. Asha still meant so much to him; he never meant to hurt her like he did. "I am so sorry," Logan said. He felt terrible for the pain and suffering he had caused his dearest friend to go through. "I love Asha, I really do. I never thought I could love anyone more than her, but I do. Max," Logan said. "That's how I feel about her," Alec said softly. "About Asha?" Logan asked. "Yeah, I love her, but she doesn't feel the same way about me," Alec said. "How do you know? Have you told her?" Logan questioned. "No, I can't. I don't want to ruin our friendship. I couldn't stand not having her in my life at all, so I'd rather have her as a friend than not at all," Alec said. With that, he got up to leave. "Don't make the same mistake I did!" Logan yelled behind him.  
  
Things went on as normal over the next few months. Asha and the S1W, Eyes Only, Max and the other transgenics were all working together and fighting for good. After their talk, Alec and Logan developed a mutual respect for each other and even a strange type of friendship. Max and Asha also started to get along. Logan told Max about his talk with Alec, and Max no longer felt threatened by Asha. Alec and Asha still hadn't told each other how they really felt. They had no idea it was all about to go horribly wrong...

* * *

Alec, Max and Original Cindy were at work at Jam Pony. They had just sat down to take their lunch break when Max's pager went off; it was Logan. Before she could ask Alec for his cell phone, it rang. "Logan, what's up?" Alec asked. "Asha's in trouble, I need you and Max here right away," Logan wasted no time getting to the point. Alec's heart sank, he couldn't move, he couldn't speak. "Alec can you hear me? Alec!" Logan said in a worried tone. Alec snapped out of it and finally replied, "I--yeah, we'll be right there." They hung up. "Max we have to go right now," Alec said. "Wait, what's going on?" she said, looking confused. "I don't know! It's Asha, I don't know what happened, just come on!" he yelled. Max could see the worry and terror on his face, she didn't argue. She knew the woman he loved was in danger and that's all he could think about.  
  
Minutes later, Max and Alec burst into Logan's apartment. He was waiting by the door. He quickly started to tell them all he knew about Asha. Some of the S1W members were captured while trying to bring down a drug ring. Asha and the others came up with a plan to rescue them. Something went wrong; Asha got too close and was captured also. The others retreated and contacted Logan immediately. Alec could do nothing but pace the whole time Logan was telling the story. He had to save her, he loved her, he couldn't live without her...and he had never told her. 'You're such an idiot!' he thought to himself. All he could think about was the fact that he may never see her again, and he was too much of a coward to tell her how he really felt about her. Logan could tell what he was thinking. Putting a comforting hand on his shoulder he said simply, "We'll get her back." Alec nodded.  
  
Max and Alec put their Manticore training to good use. They managed to get into the warehouse where Asha was being held through the air ducts without being detected. The closer they got to Asha's position, the more careless Alec got. Finally she couldn't stand it anymore. "Alec, you're not going to help Asha if we get killed before we can get to her," Max said, "I know you love her, you just want to get to her as fast as possible, but please, try to keep your head on straight, for her sake and ours." Alec nodded and tried to maintain his composure. Soon they reached the vent overlooking the room where Asha was. They could see her now, she was tied to a chair, and there was a man holding a gun to her head. Her nose was bleeding, and her beautiful blonde hair was matted to a cut on her forehead. She was being pumped for information, and it seemed as if the guy was tired of her not talking. He was going to kill her.  
  
Max could immediately see the rage in Alec's eyes. The good times he had with Asha ran thorough his head, as well as everything he loved about her...the first time he saw her, the feel of his hand against her stomach, holding her while she cried over Logan, that smile that was so bright it could light the whole world, her goofy laugh...he couldn't lose her, he couldn't live without her. Before Max could react, Alec was already jumping down from the vent. He was so focused on Asha; he didn't even notice the second guy approaching him from behind with a gun in hand. The guy had a clear shot at Alec. He was just about to pull the trigger when...  
  
Max saw what was about to happen. She quickly made her way out of the air duct and between Alec and the gunman. She was able to tackle the guy and knock him out before he fired. As Max was taking the gunman down, Alec beat the guy who dared hurt his Asha senseless. If Max hadn't pulled him off, Alec would have probably killed him. Alec immediately went to Asha, who could barely keep her eyes open. "Asha. Asha, open those beautiful eyes of yours sweetie," he said softly. He gently lifter her chin so he could check her injuries and make sure she wasn't hurt too badly. She had sprained her ankle in the struggle when she was grabbed. Max untied her and she and Alec helped Asha up together.  
  
Max tied up the two bad guys, but they knew they had to get out quickly before they were caught. The three of them left the same way Max and Alec had entered, through the air ducts. They escaped safely. Asha almost passed out from a combination of exhaustion, pain, and relief as soon as her feet hit the ground. She soon felt strong arms supporting her, and a thought came into her head--Alec was there for her, she wasn't alone just like he had promised. Her eyes suddenly went wide and she smacked Alec on the back of the head. "Ow! What was that for!" he said. "You almost got yourself killed you idiot! What the hell were you thinking jumping out there like that! Max saved your ass!" she replied.  
  
Alec took a calming breath then said, "I was thinking the woman I love was in danger, and I can't bear to live without her." Asha was stunned, she was so happy she couldn't speak. "It's ok if you don't feel the same way about me, we can keep things like they are. You mean so much to me, I just didn't want to make the mistake of never telling you my true feelings," he said. "I--I love you too. I have for a long time, but I didn't want to ruin our friendship," she answered softly. They couldn't believe what was happening. They crushed their lips together in a bruising kiss--tongues battling each other, trying to convey feelings that words just couldn't do justice. Asha felt herself being lifted from the ground, she wrapped her legs around Alec's waist, and her arms went around his neck, fingers tangling in his short spiked hair. Alec's hand roamed her body, crushing her closer to him, needing to feel her.  
  
"Umm, we need to get a move on," Max said as she cleared her throat. They reluctantly broke the kiss...a faint blush crept its way onto Asha's face, and she and Alec were both grinning like Cheshire cats. "Sorry," they said at the same time, like two kids caught drawing on the walls. Max chuckled at the sight. They were so cute together, and so right for each other. They headed to the car where Logan was waiting. Alec was still carrying Asha. 'Oh well, she's in no condition to walk anyway' he thought with a smirk. Alec and Asha were making out in the back seat the whole way home. Logan and Max just couldn't take it anymore and yelled, "Oh get a room!" Alec and Asha giggled and continued. "Now you know how we feel around you two," Asha said, giving Max a wink. Max was happy to see her "brother", and her new friend so happy...even if they were sickening.  
  
Logan and Max figured Asha would want to get cleaned up which meant she needed running hot water, so they decided to let Asha and Alec have use of his apartment. He and Max went to spend the night at her place. Alec carried Asha into the apartment, and gave her one last peck on the lips before gently placing her on the sofa. He went to retrieve the first aid kit. He gently cleaned the blood from her nose, and the wound on her forehead and dressed it...softly pressing his lips to each as he finished. He then left Asha to go get her bath ready. When it was done he lead her to the bathroom and helped her undress and get into the tub. When she was ready to come out, Alec was waiting with a towel. He rationalized that she needed help since she shouldn't put pressure on her ankle...well, that and seeing Asha naked was very pleasing to the eye.  
  
Asha couldn't resist kissing him as he wrapped the towel around her. The kiss quickly became more passionate; they just couldn't get enough of each other. Asha instinctively wrapped her legs around him. Alec's hands just couldn't resist wandering over the smooth skin of her body. Her hand tangled in his hair. Asha felt like her skin was on fire, her head was swimming--wait, she needed to breathe. She pulled away to catch her breath. She then began to softly nip at Alec's neck, she heard his breath hitch and knew she was having the desired effect on him. He tasted so good. Alec's hands made soft trails up and down her thighs. She shivered against him, partially from desire and partially from the cool air against her damp skin. "Alec, take me to bed," she whispered in his ear. He gladly complied.  
  
They reached the guest room and Alec pulled back the covers and laid her on the bed. He quickly covered her body with his, being careful not to crush her. His weight felt so good pressed against her--she wanted more. She pulled him closer, tracing his lips with her tongue and wrapping her legs around him once again. Oh those long legs--Alec loved the feel of her. She smelled so good, felt so good, tasted so good. She whimpered a little as he broke away from her lips and began blazing a trail of fire down her body. He kissed and licked that sensitive spot behind her earlobe, nipped at her neck, down to her chest and over her breasts. Asha was in heaven, but still she needed more.  
  
There was no mistaking how much he wanted her. She wanted more, she had to feel his skin against hers. She reached for the button on his jeans. Alec took over, while Asha practically ripped his shirt from his body. Her towel had been discarded long ago. Finally she got what she wanted--Alec in all his genetically perfect glory. She licked her lips, her eyelids heavy with desire. "Whoa, what happed to the sweet angelic girl I fell in love with?" Alec said as he witnessed her actions. "Oh I'm no angel," she replied seductively, and nipped his earlobe. Alec didn't say anything, just continued his trail of kisses down her body. He circled her navel with his tongue, and Asha's breath hitched as he continued his descent even lower.  
  
She was a bit disappointed when he skipped the area that screamed for his attention the most and began kissing down her thighs and legs. He paid extra special attention to her sprained ankle, then placed it gently back on the bed. He began to work his way back up her body, teasing her by lingering at her inner thighs. "Alec, please," Asha squeaked as he got closer and closer to where she desperately wanted him. Finally his warm mouth descended on her. Her grip tightened on his hair. Her moans became deeper, her breathing labored. Alec loved the feel of her thighs around his ears...and the taste of her; oh she tasted like the sweetest ripe fruit to him. He couldn't get enough of her. They were both in heaven as sweet release washed over her.  
  
She was still breathing heavily when Alec's eyes met hers again. "You are so beautiful," he said, tracing her lips with his finger. She sucked it into her mouth. Alec was so aroused he couldn't stand it anymore. He had to feel her, but he stopped and got serious before things went too far. A confused look washed over Asha's face. "Are you sure you want this? I mean you haven't...since Logan...I..." he started. Asha silenced him with a kiss. "I love you Alec, there's nothing I want more in the world than you right now," Asha replied. And with that, they made love for the first time as if it would be their last.  
  
As they both struggled to catch their breath he pulled her close, she rested her head on his chest and he stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. "I love you Alec," she said with a yawn. He was about to answer, when he heard the faint sound of snoring. She was asleep. "I love you too Asha," he said to no one in particular. He felt her shiver and pulled the covers around them, and then he joined her in sleep. It had been a long day and they were both drained. Despite that, they made love several more times throughout the night.  
  
TBC...

* * *

I haven't finished editing the other chapter's yet, but they're coming soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Asha was awakened by the tickle of Alec blowing softly in her ear. She smiled and stretched like a cat as Alec just stared at the beautiful creature lying beside him. He still couldn't believe she was his. He loved her with every fiber of his being. He never thought he would love again after what happened to Rachel-- 'Rachel' he thought to himself as he realized the date. This was the day that he was usually depressed and at a bar drinking to numb the pain.  
  
Not today, today he had Asha. She was the most important person in his life. He loved her, she loved him back just as fiercely, and there was no way he was ever letting her go. She taught him what true love was all about. As suddenly as it had come, the smile left Asha's face and was replaced with an emotion that Alec couldn't quite place. "It's ok if you want to be alone today, I understand," she stated.  
  
There it was...pain, sadness, and disappointment in her eyes. It broke Alec's heart to see it. She knew what day it was, and she thought it was more important to him than she was. As much as Alec had loved Rachel...she was the past. She would always have a special place in his heart, but Asha was his present and his future. He mentally kicked himself for not letting her know that. He ran a finger along her cheek and said, "There's nowhere I'd rather be than with you." She gave him a skeptical, halfhearted smile. She knew what Rachel meant to him and deep in her heart she knew she would always be second best. At that moment the phone rang. Asha quickly grabbed it--happy to get away from the awkward silence that had developed.  
  
"I have to go. S1W meeting," Asha said. Alec protested by rolling on top of her and pinning her arms above her head. "Blow it off. I can think of something much more fun for you," he said as he began kissing her neck. "Alec! That tickles! I really have to go!" Asha giggled as she writhed beneath him. Alec pouted and rolled off of her. She surprised him by repeating his earlier action and pinning him down. Alec gave her that sly grin of his. "Have you decided you want to play?" he questioned. "No, just wanted to make sure you still know who's boss," she said as a lazy dimpled grin appeared on her face. With that, she gave him a peck on the lips and went off to the bathroom to shower and get dressed.  
  
Alec stayed in bed long after Asha left for her meeting. He couldn't think of anything except the doubt he saw in her eyes. He loved her, she was his everything and she didn't even know it. She thought of herself as his second choice and he just couldn't live with that. He wanted her to know that he put her above everyone, even himself. But how could he do that? Just then it came to him--he wanted to marry her.  
  
"Hello?" Max yawned into the phone. It was her day off and she wanted nothing more than to lie in bed all day. "Max, I need your help," Alec blurted out. Max didn't answer because she was nodding off. "Max! Wake up this is important!" he yelled. She was becoming annoyed. Why couldn't he just leave her alone? "Damn it Alec! Leave me alone, I'm trying to sleep!" she yelled back. She was just about to hang up when she heard Alec yell, "Max wait, please! I want to ask Asha to marry me!"  
  
His last statement definitely woke her up. "Did you just say what I think you said? You want to marry Asha?" she questioned. "Yes, I love her. Do you know what today is?" he said. She thought a minute before it hit her. "Oh my God, Rachel. Alec I'm so sorry," she answered. "But Max, I'm not sad today, and it's all because of Asha. Max, you should have seen her eyes this morning when she realized what day it was. She was so sad and disappointed...like she thought she wasn't the most important person to me. It almost broke my heart," he said.  
  
Max smiled. She was so happy that her brother had found someone to share his life with, like she did with Logan. She was happy for Asha too. Since Alec and Asha had gotten together, she and Asha had begun to spend more and more time together. Asha had become one of her best friends, and she wanted to see her happy. "So...what exactly is it that you need my help with?" she asked.

* * *

Asha was exhausted. She couldn't stop yawning the whole way home. She couldn't wait to get home and fall out on the bed. The last thing she was expecting was what she saw when she walked thorough the door. The whole apartment was covered in candles and rose petals. There was soft music playing. "Alec?" she called. Alec emerged from the bedroom with a bottle of wine in his hand. "Alec, what..." she began, but Alec interrupted her. "Shhhh," he said as he gently pressed a finger to her lips. He kissed her passionately then took her hand in his as he led her over to the couch. "Sit, relax...I have something to tell you," he said. She gladly complied and her tired limbs thanked her as she suppressed yet another yawn.  
  
"Asha, I love you. You know that, but I don't think you realize just how much. Today I saw pain in your eyes when you realized what day it was, and it broke my heart. I feel like a fool for not letting you know how much you really mean to me. Yes, I loved Rachel...LOVED, past tense. As much as I loved her, it's not even a fraction of how much I love you. You're my everything, my future, the only one I want to be with for the rest of my life," he said. Asha's eyes went wide after his last statement. 'No way, he couldn't be...no way' she thought to herself.  
  
Asha was stunned by his words and didn't know what to say. Alec then proceeded to pull a small box out of his pocket and kneel in front of her. "Asha Barlow," he said as he opened the box to reveal an engagement ring. It had at least a 1-carat diamond, flanked by two smaller sapphire stones. "Will you marry me?" he asked as he took her hand in his.  
  
"Yes Alec, I'll marry you," she choked out through her tears. "I love you so much," she said as she wrapped her arms around him. "Wait, we have to make it official," he replied. He took her left hand, slipped the ring on her finger, and then pressed his lips to her palm to seal the deal. He then swiftly scooped her into his arms and carried her off to the bedroom. There were candles everywhere, and the bed was covered with rose petals. It was so beautiful. Asha wanted nothing more than to make love to Alec right then, but she was so tired. Alec had already removed her clothes and she hadn't even noticed. "How could someone so perfect and so beautiful not be made in a test tube," he said as he began making his way down her body with kisses and soft caresses.  
  
He was busy admiring her flat, toned stomach when he heard her let out a loud yawn. He laughed, and then came up to lie down beside her. "What are you doing?" Asha asked as Alec held her in his arms. "You're exhausted sweetie, get some sleep," he replied and followed it up with a kiss to her forehead. "But this is our first night as an engaged couple. We're supposed to make love. I want to," she whined as she claimed his lips. "But baby, we have our whole lives to make love...over and over and over. Besides, when have we ever done what we're supposed to?" he replied while looking down at her. Her eyes fluttered and she quickly drifted off with a smile on her face, while Alec stroked her hair. He didn't sleep for hours...he was too busy enjoying the view.  
  
When Alec woke up, he found Asha sitting up in bed staring at her ring with a cheesy grin on her face. "Good morning gorgeous," Alec said as he pressed his lips to her dimpled cheek. "Remind me to thank Max for helping you out last night," Asha said with a giggle. "Hey! I'm insulted that you think I couldn't come up with that on my own. I'll have you know I did all the work," he said with mock disappointment. Asha looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Ok, ok...I'll tell her. The ring was all my idea though, the blue sapphires reminded me of your eyes," he said.  
  
Asha pushed him down on the bed and straddled him. She kissed him passionately, assaulting his mouth with her tongue. "Wow, what was that for?" Alec asked when Asha finally broke the kiss to breathe. "Just because I love you so much," she replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "I'm nice and well rested now, and you're obviously happy to see me..." she continued while positioning herself on top of him. "So why don't we finish what we started last night?" she said with a moan as she lowered herself on him. "I'm supposed to be at work right now," he said as he watched her grinding her hips excruciatingly slowly. "Blow it off," she whispered while flicking her tongue into his ear. "You're the boss," he replied with a sly grin as he began to follow her lead.  
  
Max and Original Cindy were trying their best to feed Normal excuses about why Alec wasn't at work today. Normal wasn't buying any of it. Original Cindy couldn't take it anymore so finally she blurted out, "Boy Wonder just asked his little hottie girlfriend to marry him, and they're probably gonna be gettin' their freak on all day...so he won't be in, got it? Good." With that, she grabbed Max by the hand and they walked off toward the lockers giggling. Normal was too shocked to say anything.

* * *

The feel of Alec rubbing her back in gentle circles awakened Asha. "Time to get up sleepyhead," he whispered in her ear. She stretched and smiled at the memories of what created the soreness that enveloped every part of her. "What's the rush? I thought we were spending the day in bed?" she questioned. "Logan called, he needs our help with something. We're supposed to meet him at Crash in an hour," he answered. Asha pouted and reluctantly got out of bed, wrapping the sheet around her body as she did so. "Well aren't you going to join me?" she asked Alec as she made her way to the shower. Alec gladly followed.  
  
Max, Logan, Original Cindy, Sketchy, and even Bling were all sitting around a table at Crash eagerly awaiting the arrival of the newly engaged couple. "They're late. It's rude to be late for your own party," Sketchy said while nursing a beer. "Oh shut up, it's a surprise party dumb ass. Besides, if you had a hot girl like Asha wouldn't you much rather spend time on those curves than looking in our faces?" Original Cindy replied. "She's got a point there," Logan said, only to be smacked in the head by Max. "Watch it Logan, you had your chance with her and you blew it. You're all mine now," said Max. Logan smothered her lips with his. "Cut it out you two, the only people allowed to play tonsil hockey tonight are Alec and Asha," Bling said. Just then Sketchy spotted the happy couple walking through the door.  
  
Asha quickly spotted the table where their friends were, and pulled Alec along as they made their way over. "Hey guys. I thought this was about business Logan?" Asha asked. Logan didn't answer. He motioned to Bling, who went off but quickly returned with balloons in hand. "Surprise!" they all yelled as Bling returned. "It is about business...the business of celebrating your engagement," Logan said. Asha and Alec smiled. It felt good to know that they had friends who really cared. The men shook Alec's hand and took turns hugging Asha.  
  
"You don't know how much it means to me to see you happy, and I'm so sorry for hurting you all those years ago," Logan whispered when it was his turn to hug his friend. Asha's eyes were damp with unshed tears as she kissed Logan's scruffy cheek. She knew he really meant it, and she was glad to at least have him as a friend. Max was the next to hug Asha. "Thanks for helping him out last night, even though I was so tired I fell asleep before I got a chance to really enjoy it," Asha said. "No big, you know I'd do anything for my friends. Hey, I'm sure you made up for it today. I'm surprised you can still walk," Max replied with a wink. "You know what, I am too," Asha said with a giggle. Alec came up behind Asha, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck.  
  
"Hey! You're interrupting the girl talk!" Max yelled at Alec. "Sorry sis, but I can't get enough of this woman," Alec replied before going off to the bar for more drinks. Original Cindy and Max both began to laugh uncontrollably. "What's so funny?" Asha asked. "Girl, what did you do to him? Damn, you must have put it on him good," Original Cindy replied. "Yup, he's whipped," Max chimed in. A sly grin spread on Asha's face as she replied, "Let's just say I'm nowhere near as innocent as I look." The celebration lasted well into the night, when everyone was becoming tired. They all said their goodbyes, congratulating the couple one last time before going their separate ways.  
  
Alec and Asha decided to stop by and give Joshua the good news before making their way home. Alec couldn't wait to get Asha home so they could continue their earlier activities, he really couldn't get enough of her.  
  
TBC... 


	3. Chapter 3

I try but I can't seem to get myself   
To think of anything but you   
Your breath on my face   
Your warm gentle kiss, I taste the truth I taste the truth   
You know what I came here for   
So I won't ask for more   
I wanna be with you   
If only for a night   
To be the one who's in your arms   
Who holds you tight   
I wanna be with you   
There's nothing more to say   
There's nothing else I want more than to feel this way   
I wanna be with you   
So I'll hold you tonight   
Like I would if you were mine   
To hold forever more   
And I'll savor each touch that I wanted So much to feel before (To feel before)   
How beautiful it is Just to be like this   
------------------------------Mandy Moore  
  
Asha couldn't believe it. She was on her way to Logan's cabin for **her** wedding. Tomorrow she would be married to Alec. As she sat in the back of Logan's Aztec beside her husband to be, she thought about how far they'd come together. Alec had learned to love again, and she had finally given up her Logan fantasy for something real. Alec put his arm around her and gave her a little squeeze, as if he knew exactly what was on her mind.  
  
Max squeezed Logan's hand as she looked at the happy couple behind them in the rearview mirror. "Hey we're almost there," she said. "Yup, just another 15 minutes," Logan replied. "Are you sure everything is ready? Where's my dress? Is Father Destry going to get here on time? Alec, did you give Logan the ring? Is everybody else still behind us?" Asha chimed in, a mixture of nervousness and excitement. Max just laughed and said, "Yes, right behind you, yes, yes, and yes. Asha, honey breathe, relax...everything is going to go great." "Sorry, I'm just nervous," she replied, "thanks again for doing all this guys." "You don't have to keep thanking us. You guys are family," Logan replied with a smile.  
  
Everyone was exhausted when they finally arrived at the cabin. "Ok, women in one room and men in the other," Max said. "No!" Alec said, instantly wrapping his arms tightly around Asha's waist. "Alec...I can't breathe," Asha choked out. "Sorry baby," he said, loosening his grip but not letting go. "You're not supposed to see the bride before the ceremony. Stop being such a baby, you can live without her for one night," Max said as she pried Alec's arms from Asha. Asha didn't want to spend a night without Alec either, but she was way too tired to protest. All she wanted was some sleep. She smiled as she heard Alec complaining as he entered the bedroom with Logan, Bling, and Joshua.  
  
Asha, Max, and Original Cindy settled down in the other bedroom. They wanted the bride to have a good night's sleep, so Max and Original Cindy settled down on the floor while Asha got comfortable in the bed. One minute they were up having a little girl talk, and the next Asha knew she was waking up and it was the middle of the night. She didn't even remember falling asleep. She was about to roll over and go back to sleep when her bladder protested. Asha made her way out of the room, being careful not to wake Max and Original Cindy, and then continued down the hall to the bathroom.  
  
Asha didn't feel so sleepy anymore, so she sat down in the living room just gathering all the thoughts that were speeding through her brain. Something felt out of place. This was her wedding day; a day she had dreamed of all her life, and the two most important people in her life other than Alec weren't there to see it. Her parents would never see their baby girl, their only child get married. Asha was saddened by the thought, and tears began to stream down her face. Silent tears turned into soft sobs as the memories of her parents emerged. Her heart ached as she thought about her father and how much she wished he could walk her down the aisle.  
  
Logan had just left the bathroom and was on his way back to bed when he heard the faint sounds of someone crying in the living room. He went to investigate and the last thing he expected to see was Asha curled up on the couch sobbing into a pillow. "Asha? What's wrong?" he questioned as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The unexpected touch startled her. She quickly sat up and tried desperately to wipe the tears from her face. If there was one thing she had learned during her time with the S1W, it was to never show weakness. Crying over the past, over what can't be changed, is a sign of weakness...and Asha Barlow was not some weak fragile little girl. "What's wrong?" Logan questioned again. "Nothing, I'm fine," Asha replied with a sniffle.  
  
"Bullshit Asha, you don't cry when you're fine...and those damn sure weren't tears of joy," Logan said. He was right, she wasn't fine and she instantly threw herself back on a pillow and began sobbing uncontrollably. Logan grabbed some tissues from the box on the coffee table and sat down beside Asha. He rubbed her back soothingly and patiently waited for her tears to subside. "Come on Asha, please stop crying, you know you're going to give yourself a headache if you don't," Logan said. "How did you know that?" Asha said, looking up at him with red puffy eyes. "I was your boyfriend once remember. That and we've known each other all our lives, how could I not remember that you get headaches when you cry? I probably know things about you that you don't even know," he said as the handed her a tissue. "Now tell me what's wrong," he continued as she wiped her face.  
  
"Remember how I used to tell you what my dream wedding would be like? It just hit me that I'll never have that. My parents are gone, my dad won't be walking me down the aisle, and I won't look over and find my mom sitting in the front row with tears in her eyes. That hurts so much Logan. Even more painful than that, I think about how they were taken away from me, and the time I spent running around with the S1W trying to save the world when I could have been with them. It's not just my parents either. Everyone I've ever loved has either been taken out or walked out of my life. I can't handle anymore, it would kill me if Alec..." Asha said, her voice riddled with tears. She couldn't bring herself to even finish that sentence. Logan put an arm around her and pulled her closer to him. Asha's parents were killed in a car accident shortly after she joined the S1W. Logan had heard the news from his family and it hit him hard, their families had been so close. He remembered sending anonymous flowers, still afraid for Asha's safety while having no idea what she was involved with.  
  
He felt terrible about abandoning her like he did, even if it was for her own good. She was alone at a time when she needed someone the most, and he finally realized how deeply he had hurt her. He wished she had told him sooner, he wished she wouldn't let everything build up like that. But this was a different Asha from the girl he knew, the girl who was his first love. She was no longer a girl; she was a woman...a hardened woman. One who'd rather bury her emotions than let someone help her. Why couldn't she have just yelled at him, hit him, done something--done anything to let him know what he'd done. No, she'd just helped him out, risked her life, let him push her aside the second Max was back in his life and she never said a word. He just held her a little tighter, hoping that it would somehow express what words couldn't say. After a while they started to reminisce about their childhood.  
  
Alec and Max's sensitive hearing had alerted them to activity in the living room and they had cautiously come out to investigate. They stood in the shadows watching Logan and Asha. Alec had wanted to go to Asha when he saw her crying, he wanted to tell her that he would never leave her, tell her that everything would be ok but Max held him back. She knew that Asha needed something only Logan could provide, a link to her past...shared memories, a person who understood what it was like to lose your family. Alec loved her and would do anything for her, but there's no way a man who grew up in a lab with no parents could relate to the pain she was feeling. So he stayed away. Max and Alec just stood back and smiled as she watched the man she loved and her friend relieve their childhood memories. "For once I can honestly say you did good Alec," Max whispered. Alec smiled, knowing she was referring to Asha. "Yeah, well you didn't do such a bad job yourself," he replied and they headed back to bed.  
  
"Hey, I have something to give you. It was supposed to be a surprise for tomorrow, but I think you need it now," Logan said as the got up and pulled something wrapped in newspaper out of a desk drawer. He returned to his place beside Asha and handed her the package. A puzzled look crossed Asha's face as she cautiously opened the package. "A photo album?" she questioned. "Look inside," Logan replied. Asha's jaw dropped as she looked through the photos inside. "Oh my God Logan, how did you get these? This is wonderful," she said. The photo album was full of pictures of Logan and Asha as kids; pictures of both their families' together, pictures of her parents...there were even baby pictures of Asha. She put a hand over her mouth in awe as she took in the images of the woman she was the spitting image of, and the man she inherited those gorgeous blue eyes from. "I hoped you'd like it. I got them from my parents' old photo albums," Logan said with a chuckle. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Asha said as she threw her arms around Logan's neck, practically knocking him over.  
  
He returned her hug, wiped a tear from her eye and said, "You shouldn't be sad on your wedding day. Your parents were wonderful people and they loved and adored you more than anything in the world. They would want you to be happy now, not crying your eyes out over them. Remember the good times Asha, and know that they'll always live in your heart. And you haven't lost everyone you love. Alec's not going anywhere, and I'm not either. Whether you know it or not, you'll always have a special place in my heart. You were my first love, and I still love you as a friend. Whenever you start to feel sad, I want you to look in that photo album and remember the happy times. If that doesn't work, don't hesitate to pick up a phone and call me. Now, go get some sleep, you have a wedding to attend in a few hours." He kissed the top of her head and pulled her to her feet. "Thank you," she said as she hugged the photo album to her chest and they went off to their bedrooms.

* * *

The music began to play, and Asha tightened the death grip she had on Logan's arm. "Asha I can't feel my arm, please relax," Logan said. He could feel her shaking. She was so nervous she zoned out and she jumped when Logan spoke. "Why so jumpy? There's nothing to be nervous about. The man you love is waiting to make you legally his forever. He's not going anywhere; all you have to do is go to him," he whispered as he coaxed her down the makeshift aisle in the living room. Asha plastered a smile on her face, but she had never been so scared in her life.  
  
Alec couldn't take his eyes off Asha as she made her way down the aisle. She had always been a beautiful woman, but today she was absolutely stunning. She was wearing a simple but elegant ivory silk-satin gown with beaded accents. Her golden hair was done in soft curls that framed her face and she had little blue flowers tucked behind one ear. It had taken her hours to get ready, and Alec's smile widened as he thought about the mere minutes it would take him to get her out of that dress. He grabbed her trembling hand as she reached her place beside him. "Are you alright? You look like you're going to throw up," he whispered to her. It was as if all her nervousness melted away with his touch. "I'm fine now," she replied.  
  
Max and Logan stood beside the bride and groom as best man and maid of honor, while Joshua, Bling, and Original Cindy stood back watching. As soon as everyone was in place Father Destry was ready to begin the ceremony. "Friends, we have been invited here today to share a most important even with Alec and Asha. In the time they have been together their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured. That growth has led them to the decision of sharing the rest of their lives together as husband and wife," he said. "Alec, will you take Asha to be your wife? Will you love and respect her? Will you stand by her through whatever may come?" "I will," Alec replied with no hesitation. He then turned to Asha and said, "Asha, will you take Alec to be your husband? Will you love and respect him? Will you stand by him through whatever may come?" "I will," Asha replied softly, as a grin spread on her face.  
  
"Alec, what token do you give of the vows you have made?" Father Destry asked. Logan handed Alec the ring. It was a simple platinum band to accent her engagement ring. "Asha, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you," Alec said as he slid the ring on her finger. "Asha, what token do you give of the vows you have made?" Father Destry asked as he turned to Asha. Max handed Asha Alec's ring, which was a simple platinum band that matched her own. "Alec, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you," Asha said as she slid the ring on his finger.  
  
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," Father Destry said. Alec wasted no time wrapping his arms around Asha's waist and kissing her passionately. Asha giggled as he finally let her go. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to present to you Mr. And Mrs. Alec Barlow," Father Destry announced. Since Alec didn't have a last name, and Asha's was one of the few things she had left of her parents he took her last name.  
  
Everyone congratulated the happy newlyweds, then sat down to a dinner Logan made. Father Destry left shortly after dinner, but the rest of the gang hung around. Asha and Alec couldn't keep their hands off each other. Max knew Asha was anxious to get some alone time with her man and they shared a look of understanding. "Hey guys, I think we should get going now, so Asha and Alec can have some alone time," Max said with a wink at Asha. Their honeymoon was going to be staying at Logan's cabin for a week. Asha had managed to come to Jam Pony and charm Normal into giving Alec a week off for their honeymoon.  
  
"Baby how long did it take you to get in this dress?" Alec asked. "I don't know, with all the preparation before hand I'd say and hour or so, why?" Asha answered. "Oh, just making sure I break a record getting you out of it," Alec said as he scooped her up and quickly carried her into the bedroom. Alec stayed true to his word; he had her out of her dress in less than a minute. He wasted no time laying her on the bed and beginning the worship of the beautiful body under him. He coaxed her to turn over on her stomach, and took a small bottle of massage oil from the nightstand (a little present from Original Cindy). He straddled her hips and warmed a small amount of oil in his hands.  
  
He began massaging her shoulders and slowly worked his way down to her lower back. Asha purred with pleasure. "Good lord that feels good," she moaned. "You sure you don't have a little cat DNA in you?" Alec laughed. He lightly traced the tattoo on her lower back before kissing it and turning her back over. Asha just lay there and closed her eyes. "Why aren't you naked yet?" Asha asked as she slowly opened her eyes. "I was hoping you'd help me with that," Alec replied. Asha sat up and slid to the edge of the bed. She grabbed her husband's collar and pulled him down on top of her as she lay back down. She worked on unbuttoning his shirt, taking her time and placing soft kisses on his chest as his skin was exposed. Alec made quick work of removing his pants and boxers. A moan came from deep in his throat at the feel of Asha's lips setting his skin on fire.  
  
"I love you," Alec said as he looked Asha straight in the eye and brushed the hair from her face. "I love every inch of you," he said as he began kissing his way down her body, from her forehead to the soles of her feet. "Alec," Asha whined while he worked his way up. Her fingers tangled in his hair, tugging him towards where she desperately wanted him. He gladly fulfilled her silent request. He loved everything about her, her taste...the way she purred like a kitten, it was driving him crazy. She writhed beneath him as he quickly took her over the edge. She was still breathing heavily, as he slowly moved back up her body. He relished the salty taste of her skin from the thin sweat that covered her body.  
  
He licked a trail from her navel to the space between her breasts. Asha was in heaven. "Happy to see me?" she asked as she wrapped her legs around his waist, grinding against him. Alec was shocked when she flipped him over, still grinding against him. She traced his lips with her tongue before deepening the kiss. One of his hands raked through her hair, pulling her mouth as close as possible to his, while the other lightly traced her tattoo. An action that always drove Asha crazy with desire. She began a slow descent down his perfect body licking and nipping along the way. Alec moaned as her tongue explored his chest as if she were painting an invisible picture. "Asha, if you want me to last much longer you've got to stop that," he growled as he felt the warmth of her breath moving even further down along her path.  
  
Asha looked up and gave him a devilish grin as she reached her destination. The sight of what she was doing had to be the most erotic thing he'd ever seen. A familiar feeling began forming deep in his belly. Just as he was about to explode, Asha stopped and quickly moved back up to straddle him. Alec was about to protest when he suddenly felt her surrounding him. She sat there for a few seconds just relishing a feeling she wanted to last forever. Alec took one of her hands into his mouth and began gently sucking each of her delicate fingers, spurring her into action. Asha began to slowly move her hips. Slow movements soon turned into frantic thrusts. "Mine, mine, mine," Alec said as he met each of her thrusts with his own. "Always," Asha replied breathlessly as ecstasy blanketed them both.  
  
Asha collapsed on top of Alec, exhausted from all the events of the day. She was out in no time, and whimpered in her sleep as Alec broke their union and got up to put her under the covers, being careful not to wake her. He got in bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. She mumbled something he couldn't understand as she buried her head in that space between his neck and shoulder. "My wife. What did I do to deserve you?" Alec said. He felt her pillow soft lips smiling against his neck. "Sweet dreams," he whispered in her ear as he kissed her and closed his eyes, knowing he'd be dreaming of her.  
  
TBC...  
  
Author's Note: Special thanks to Hearns for the idea about Father Destry and Logan's cabin, and to addleft for the song suggestion. 


	4. Chapter 4

"Where are you going? We're in the middle of a game here!" Alec said as Asha turned away from the pool table. "I desperately have to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back," Asha answered, turning away again. "Oh no you don't," Alec said as he grabbed one of the belt loops on her jeans and playfully restrained her, "this is the third time you've had to go in the past hour and a half. I think you're off getting tips on how to beat me." Asha laughed, "Ha! Aww, your fragile male ego is so cute. I hate to break it to you sweetie, but I'm just better." She gave him a peck on the lips, wiggled out of his grasp, and made her way to the bathroom--making sure to swivel her hips a little more than usual just to tease him.  
  
Alec was watching her walk away like he wanted to eat her alive when he felt someone smack him in the back of the head. "Hey! What was that for? Can't a man eye his wife in peace?" Alec said, glaring at the offender. "I'm sure she'll be shaking it for you later. Right now, I'm about to put the smack down on you so you can be embarrassed about getting your ass kicked in pool by two women," Max said. "You know, I think I liked it better before you two became friends and started ganging up on me," he replied. Asha returned about 15 minutes later looking a little pale.  
  
"Hey what took you so long? You missed the best part of Alec's ass kicking," Max asked. Alec grew concerned as he took in her slightly ragged appearance. "I'm feeling kind of crampy and queasy all of a sudden, I guess it's that time of the month," she shrugged. She turned to Alec and said, "Sorry babe, we won't be having much fun tonight." "I will, I get to hold you all night," Alec answered, wrapping his arms around her. Asha couldn't control her laughter as Max began mocking Alec and making gagging noises. Alec just glared at her. "We're going to head home now, I'm pretty tired. Later Max," Asha said as she pulled Alec toward the door.

* * *

"Alec's out on a run but you're welcome to wait for him if you'd like. He should be back soon," Normal said to Asha. Asha couldn't believe Alec had left with her cell phone that morning. She had an S1W meeting in less than an hour and she needed her phone to call a few contacts. She had tried calling and he didn't answer; now he was taking forever getting back from his run. Typical, her day was getting off to a bad start. She noticed Normal was struggling with a calculator trying to add up a long list of numbers. "6,785," Asha said nonchalantly as she peered over the desk at the list. Just then Max came back from a run, she spotted Asha and went over to say hi. "What?" Normal questioned, not knowing what Asha was referring to. "The answer to what you were adding is 6,785," she said. "Wait, you mean you added all that up in your head that quickly? No way." he said, a shocked look on his face. "Yeah, go ahead and finish putting it in the calculator," Asha replied nonchalantly.  
  
"Wow, you're right," Normal said still amazed. "Damn my girl has skills. Alec never told me you were a genius," Max said. "He probably doesn't know, it's never really been a big deal. Plus in my line of work, it helps if people automatically assume I'm just a dumb blonde. They tend to let their guard down faster that way," Asha replied. Just then Alec came back from his run. "Hey, what are you doing here?" he questioned as he came up behind Asha and kissed her on the cheek. "I came to get my phone, you left with it this morning. Now give it, I'm going to be late for my meeting," she answered. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't realize it was still in my pocket," he said, handing her the phone. "Thanks, I have to get going. Bye guys," Asha said and she headed for the door. "Hey if you ever want a job here, come back and see me!" Normal yelled as she left. "What's that all about?" Alec asked, knowing that Normal wasn't known for such offers. Asha giggled as she heard Max begin the story excitedly.

* * *

Max knew Logan wasn't home, so she wasn't expecting what she heard as she entered his apartment. She cautiously made her way down the hall; the noise was coming from the bathroom. As she got closer she heard the sound of someone retching. She was shocked to see Asha worshipping the porcelain gods as she opened the door. She immediately retrieved a washcloth and wet it, then placed the cool cloth on the back of Asha's neck. "Asha? What happened?" Max asked with concern in her voice.  
  
Asha felt dreadful. She ached all over, and her stomach hurt from the dry heaves that wracked her body long after its contents had been emptied. As she rested her head against her arm, she could feel the icky film of sweat that covered her. Before she could answer Max's question, another wave of dry heaves hit her. Max kneeled beside her and rubbed her back comfortingly until they were sure the waves had stopped. Asha moaned and attempted peeling herself off the floor. She was still shaky as Max helped her to her feet and got her settled on the sofa in the living room. Asha sat back and closed her eyes. "What's going on? Are you feeling ok? Stupid question, I know," Max said, placing a concerned hand to Asha's forehead. Max went to get her a glass of water.  
  
"You're at a perfect 98.6, so what's up?" Max said as she handed Asha the glass and sat down beside her. She sipped some of the water carefully, hoping to keep it down. "I don't know, I came over here to talk to Logan about trying to get some supplies we need for a project and I just started feeling really queasy in the elevator," she answered, "I guess Logan must have cooked before he left. The smell of the food hit me when I opened the door, and I had to run to the bathroom and lose my lunch." "How long have you been getting sick like that?" Max questioned. "A couple of weeks I guess, what are you getting at?" Asha replied.  
  
"I don't want you to freak out or anything, but have you taken a pregnancy test?" Max asked. A look of sheer terror and panic settled on Asha's face. "Oh my God Max, I've been so busy I didn't even think about it but--I'm late," Asha said. "Wow ok, let's not panic. I keep a pregnancy test in Logan's medicine cabinet, it's all yours," Max said. "Wait, you keep a pregnancy test? Something you want to tell me?" Asha questioned. "It's not even like that. I just like to be prepared for anything. Now will you go take the test already?" Max said. Asha practically ran to the bathroom.  
  
Minutes later, Max and Asha were sitting side by side on the edge of the bathtub staring at the test stick on the floor. Three minutes seemed to take forever. "Two lines, what does two lines mean?" Asha asked. Max scrambled to read the directions, she gasped as she found what she was looking for. "You're pregnant!" she screamed. Asha couldn't speak. Thoughts were running through her mind at a dizzying pace. She'd always wanted kids, but was she ready to be a mother now? What would happen with the S1W? How would Alec feel? Alec--she had to tell Alec he was going to be a father.  
  
"Wow," Asha said after about five minutes of staring into space. "Wow? All you have to say is "wow"? You're going to be a mother!" Max exclaimed. "I don't know what else to say. I mean, I've always wanted a baby eventually...but am I really ready to be someone's mother? I mean I'm 25; I'm still pretty young right? I'm leading the S1W now; a pregnant woman probably shouldn't be doing that. And how's Alec going to feel about this? How am I going to tell him? We've only been married seven months; we haven't even discussed this yet. I think I need to lie down," Asha said with panic in her voice and on the verge of hyperventilating, "Sometimes these things are wrong right? I should see a doctor and make sure. If I am really pregnant, I need to know how far along I am anyway." She got up to go find a phone book and the phone when Max stopped her. "Wait Asha, first of all you need to breathe. Second, if you're pregnant this kid is half transgenic. Who knows what the effects of that will be. You can't go to a regular doctor, let me call Logan so he can set something up for you," Max said.  
  
"Ok, but don't tell him what it's about. Other than you, I don't want anyone knowing until I can tell Alec," Asha said. Logan was curious but didn't ask any questions. Max said it was important, so he got the doctor to let Asha come in that night. Max went with her and waited anxiously for Asha to come out of the office. Finally Asha emerged, looking a bit pale and expressionless. "I'm four weeks pregnant," she whispered as she sat down beside Max. The doctor followed shortly after Asha. "You'll need to take these prenatal vitamins, the directions are on the bottle. I also have some literature on what to expect during your pregnancy and how to take care of yourself," She said as she handed Asha the pills and pamphlets, "I expect to see you again in a few weeks, and again, congratulations Mrs. Barlow." "Thank you Dr. Crawford," Asha said. The doctor smiled and returned to her office. Asha decided to head home and tell Alec, while Max returned to Logan's place.  
  
Asha was tired, cranky, and becoming increasingly impatient as she sat on her living room sofa. She looked at her watch for the tenth time in the last half hour...2: 45 am. "Where the hell are you Alec?" she said to herself. Alec came strolling in about 20 minutes later. He went over to kiss Asha, but she frowned and kept him at arms length. "Where the hell were you? I called you almost two hours ago and asked you to come home. You smell like beer," she said with a frown. "I was at Crash and in the middle of a game of pool with some of the guys," Alec answered. Asha just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Listen, I have something important to tell you--or show you rather. You might want to sit down for this," she said.  
  
Alec took a seat on the sofa as Asha stood and pulled something from her pocket. She sat on the coffee table facing him and handed him the object. "What's this? What do these two little lines mean?" Alec asked, inspecting the item curiously. Watching him was starting to annoy an already cranky Asha; she grabbed one of his hands. She took a deep breath then blurted out, "That's a pregnancy test, and two lines mean you're pregnant. Alec, I'm pregnant." Alec's mouth opened in shock, he couldn't speak. After five minutes he still hadn't said a word, and Asha couldn't take it anymore. "Alec! Say something, anything!" she yelled. She had no idea what Alec's reaction would be, but she certainly wasn't expecting what happened next.  
  
"What the--how could this happen! You can't be pregnant! This has to be wrong, you have to go see a doctor!" Alec yelled. "I've already seen a doctor and I'm pregnant," Asha said. "Shit! You don't understand; you CAN'T be pregnant!" Alec exclaimed frantically. Asha was becoming annoyed again. "Yeah, I can be. That's generally what happens when a man and a woman have sex. Funny how you weren't worried about it while you were fucking me," she said sarcastically. "You think this is a joke Asha? White's still after me! I can barely keep YOU safe now and you tell me you're pregnant? How could we make such a big mistake? A baby is nothing but a liability to me!" Alec yelled.  
  
She never thought Alec would react this way. Sure, she knew it would be a shock to him but deep in her heart she thought he would actually be happy about it. He thought this baby was just a mistake--something that would get in the way, and that hurt her to the very fiber of her being. Alec was so busy pacing and ranting that he never noticed his wife's hand gravitate to her chest as if her heart was going to fall out at his last statement. He never noticed her bury her head in her hands, he never noticed the tears in her eyes, and he never noticed her walk out that door.  
  
Asha was numb, save for the aching in her chest. She barely noticed her feet move. She didn't know where she was going; she just knew she had to get away from Alec. She wanted to go get wasted, to drown herself in a bottle...anything to kill the fire in her chest, but the baby was all she had and she wouldn't do anything to harm it. Somehow she ended up at Logan's apartment. "Asha? It's 3:30 in the morning, what are you doing here?" Logan said groggily. Asha didn't answer as she pushed past him and plopped down in the living room. He followed, and it took him a few tries of asking her questions and getting no answers for him to focus and notice her expressionless and almost catatonic state. Something was wrong. "Asha? I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong," he said gently, taking a seat on the coffee table in front of her.  
  
She still said nothing. She wasn't crying now, but her eyes were red and puffy as if she had been. She wouldn't even look at him; she just stared at some point on the wall behind him. Logan had no idea what was wrong with her, and no idea what to do about it. Then he remembered Max's earlier phone call about setting up a doctor's appointment for Asha. Max appeared from the bedroom rubbing her eyes. "Oh no," she said as soon as she saw Asha. Max took a seat beside her. She turned to Asha and said, "You told him didn't you? I'm guessing he wasn't too happy about it." Asha blinked a couple of times, and then nodded her head "yes". Logan stood by and watched curiously.  
  
"What's going on here?" Logan asked. "Can I tell him?" Max asked Asha. She nodded her approval. "Logan, Asha's pregnant. That's why I needed you to make that doctor's appointment for her today. She didn't want anyone else to know before Alec. She just told him, and he didn't take it well," Max said. Logan was furious. He didn't know what Alec had said, but whatever it was had really hurt his friend.  
  
Asha sniffled but there were no tears shed. She couldn't cry anymore. She had done as she had always done when she was emotionally hurt; she shut down her emotions and cut herself off from the source of the pain. If Alec felt that way, he wouldn't have to be burdened with her or their little mistake again. Max sat patiently, not wanting to push Asha. They just sat in silence until finally Asha spoke. "Logan? How quickly could you get me sector passes and a train ticket to New York?" she asked softly. "I could have that ready within an hour, but Asha maybe you should think about this. Alec is a jerk but..." Logan said. Asha visibly winced at the mention of his name and raised a hand to cut Logan off.  
  
"He said the baby was a mistake and nothing but a liability to him," she started, "so I'm going to give him what he wants. No wife, no baby, no responsibilities." Max sighed; she had never seen Asha so cold and emotionless. "Asha, you know I'm the last one to take Alec's side, but in his defense this is all new to him. He probably just panicked, and Alec becomes a complete asshole when he panics. I'm sure he didn't mean what he said. Listen, it's late, you're pregnant, and if you don't rest you'll just be hurting the baby. So will you at least stay and get some sleep before you take off? I'll make sure Logan has the passes and ticket before you wake up," Max said.  
  
Asha sighed and considered the request. It had been a very long day and she was exhausted. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt her baby, that was all she had now. "Fine, I'll stay but I'm out of here by noon," Asha answered. "Good, the guest room's all yours. Do you need anything before we head back to bed? Hungry?" Max asked. Asha frowned, remembering her earlier encounter with the toilet. "No thanks, I'd like to avoid having my face in the toilet again. I'm fine," she said.

* * *

Max was awakened from her shallow slumber by the sound of frantic knocking. She got out of bed, being careful not to wake Logan. She reached the door and flung it open angrily knowing full well whom she would find on the other side. She grabbed Alec by the collar and slammed him up against the nearest wall. "You idiot! I always knew you were a jerk, but I never thought you were that low. How could you say that to her?" she began her rant, "What the hell could have possibly gone through your mind to make you say something that stupid? You broke her heart you asshole! She's ready to leave. I convinced her to stay and get some sleep for the baby's sake, but if she hadn't agreed your wife and your child would be gone right now and you would never see them again. You almost lost her Alec, if you don't fix this you could still lose her. Do you realize that?"  
  
Alec's eyes widened with shock. He knew he had hurt her, but he didn't realize how badly. He took in what Max had told him and realized how badly he had messed up. He could lose her, and he couldn't bear even the thought of not having her in his life anymore. He needed her, and she was his everything. Asha was fully capable of disappearing when she needed to, and not even he would have an ice cube's chance in hell of finding her. Max was surprised to see his eyes flood with unshed tears. She slowly let him go. "Fix it Alec, fix it now," she said as she pushed him toward the guest room.  
  
Alec stood at the door, watching the slow rise and fall of Asha's chest. Pale moonlight shone through the spaces in the blinds, highlighting the sliver of her stomach that peeked out from under her shirt. Alec cringed as the words he'd said to her replayed in his head. His eyes fixated on her stomach, wondering what it would look like as it gradually swelled with their growing child. He couldn't resist touching the exposed skin. Asha was startled by the unexpected touch and scooted away from him. Her anger flared as her eyes focused and she realized who was hovering over her. "Asha I..." Alec began. "No, leave me alone. Just go away Alec," Asha said as she sat on the edge of the bed with her back to him.  
  
He got on his knees in front of her. She turned her head away; she couldn't even look at him. "Asha please, I love you so much. Please don't do this," he said, pleading with her. "You don't love me, you can't. You say the words but they must not really mean anything to you. This baby is a part of me, so if it's a mistake and a liability to you, then I am too. I'm just giving you what you want Alec. We'll both get out of your hair, so you don't have to worry about anyone but yourself," she said. "How could you think that? I'm so sorry for what I said, I overreacted and I said things I didn't mean. It's just that I love you so much; I couldn't stand it if anything ever happened to you. With White still after me, how am I going to protect you? What if he goes after the baby like Manticore did with Max's nephew Case? I never had parents Asha, how am I supposed to be a good one? We promised to stand by each other through anything. I know I'm an asshole, but please don't give up on me yet," he said, his voice trembling.  
  
He waited for her to say something, to look at him, to hit him, to do anything to let him know she heard him. She kept her head turned away and she said nothing, her face remained cold and expressionless. She was going to leave him; he knew it and he couldn't take it anymore. Alec wrapped his arms around her waist, buried his head in her lap, and began to beg. "Please Asha, please don't go. I'll die without you," he said over and over again, getting no reaction from her. Soon he began to cry, she was all he had. Asha's resolve began to fade as she felt the hot tears soaking through her jeans. Alec never cried, not even on the anniversary of Rachel's death had she ever seen Alec actually shed a tear. She lifted his chin, looked him straight in the eye and said, "I love you."  
  
Alec laughed and hugged Asha around the waist. "I love you so much, I'm so sorry. I promise to make it up to you somehow," he said. "The only thing you need to do for me is be the great father I know you can be to this baby," she said. He lifted her shirt and placed a hand on her stomach. "Wow, that's us in there. We did that," he whispered. Asha smiled and placed her hand over his. He kissed her stomach, then moved up to kiss the lips he almost lost. "Do you need anything? Does it hurt? Are you hungry? What can I do for you?" Alec asked. Asha giggled and replied, "Alec calm down, the only thing I need is your promise that you'll be here for me and you'll never hurt me like that again. Other than that, I just need some sleep." Alec pulled back the covers and removed Asha's boots. "I promise," he said as he kissed her forehead. She lay down on the bed; he pulled her close and spooned himself around her. When Max and Logan came to check on them hours later, they found the couple still asleep--Alec's hand still possessively resting on Asha's stomach.  
  
TBC... 


	5. Chapter 5

Asha reluctantly turned over her leadership of the S1W. The group loved Asha and everyone was sad to see her go, but they all agreed that it was too dangerous for a pregnant woman to be involved in their activities. Asha tried, but sitting around the house all day just wasn't her style. She decided to take Normal up on his offer and took a job at Jam Pony as an accountant/desk clerk. She accomplished what Normal could never do; she had that place running like clockwork within a month. Everyone much preferred Asha's sweet smiles, to Normal's "bip, bip, bip" any day, so they were all happy to have her there...especially Alec of course.

"Hey Max, got a delivery for you. Come on, bip, bip, bip," Normal said as Max returned from a run. He threw the package to her; she turned her bike around and started to head out the door when she stopped. "This is for Alec, why can't he just get his own damn package?" she questioned. "He's off today," Normal answered. "Well, where's little miss bosses pet? They live in the same apartment, she can give it to him then," Max said. "If you're referring to the lovely Mrs. Barlow, she's the reason Alec's not here. She had a doctor's appointment today so I gave them both the whole day off," he said. "Fine, I'll deliver the thing," Max said as she headed out the door.

"Awww, that's so cute!" Max said as she let herself into Asha and Alec's apartment. Alec was reclined on the sofa, while a now six month pregnant Asha was settled between his legs with her back against his chest. Alec was absent-mindedly caressing her exposed and round tummy with one hand, while the fingers of his other were intertwined with hers. Asha looked relaxed to the point of being half asleep. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Alec asked as he glared at Max, "you're interrupting family quality time." "Am I not family?" Max asked with a look of mock hurt, "Anyway, I came to deliver your package and this is how you treat me. I'm hurt Alec, really."

He took the envelope from her hand and said, "Ok, you can leave now." "You know I need a signature," she said, "Hey Ash, how did the appointment go? You and the little one feeling ok?" "We're both fine; it was just a routine appointment. There's nothing to worry about," Asha said with a yawn. "Yes there is, Dr. Crawford said her blood pressure was a little high and she needs to stay as relaxed and stress free as possible. Which is what we were working on before you decided to show up," Alec said. "Wow," Asha gasped as the baby kicked her hard. "What's wrong?" Max asked. "The baby's kicking," Asha said as she grabbed Max's hand and placed it on her stomach, "here, feel." "Wow, that's my godson or goddaughter in there...sweet! Does it hurt?" Max asked, fascinated. "No, it doesn't hurt but it feels a little weird," Asha said, wrinkling her nose. "The kid kicks like a fighter. Didn't get that from mommy," Max said with a laugh, remembering the hilarious display of Asha's fighting skills. "Hey! I'm more brain than brawn. That is unless I have a gun in my hand," Asha said.

Alec had become silent. He was completely stunned by what he had found when he opened that envelope. It was a piece of paper with nothing except the symbol of White's cult on it. Alec didn't know what to think of it, but he knew it wasn't good. "Alec you're too quiet. What's that?" Asha said, snapping him out of his state of shock. "Oh nothing important sweetie, just something Normal sent over," Alec said as he kissed the top of her head. He knew Asha needed to stay relaxed; he didn't want her worrying and causing her blood pressure to go up. Max knew he was lying, but she also knew he was doing it for Asha's sake. She shot him a look that told him to get Asha out of the room. "Oh, well the baby is having fun using my bladder as a trampoline right now. I have to pee," Asha said.

"Oh wait, Logan told me to invite you guys to dinner tonight. He said somebody has to feed Asha and the baby properly. Poor Asha shouldn't have to live off of your cooking, Alec. Your close relationship with the pizza man isn't good enough, and Asha shouldn't be slaving away in the kitchen cooking for herself," Max said. "Ha! Well you tell Logan he can come take care of it when she has cravings at 3 am. I happen to do pretty well with a sandwich though," said Alec. Asha smiled and got up to go. Alec grabbed her hand and stopped her. "Hey baby, since we're going to dinner and you're supposed to be relaxing, why don't you go ahead and get ready for a bath. I'll be back there as soon as I finish killing Max for interrupting us," Alec said.

As soon as Asha left the room, he showed Max what was in the envelope. It was a piece of paper with nothing on it except the symbol of White's breeding cult. "I don't know what the hell this means, but it isn't good," said Max. "You read my mind sis," Alec said. "We've got to move. You and Asha need to get out of here. White knows where you live," Max said. "Wait, calm down. I don't think he's trying to kill me. There's more to this. He obviously knows where I live, so he could have moved on me a long time ago and I wouldn't have stood a chance. He's after something else. I don't want to make any unnecessary moves right now. Asha would get stressed and that's dangerous for her and the baby. He's trying to provoke me, so I think right now we should just continue normally and keep a closer eye on Asha just in case this is about the baby," Alec said. Max looked conflicted, she wasn't sure that was the best plan but this was Alec's life and it was up to him. "Ok, I'll talk to Logan and see if he can find out anything. See you guys at seven," Max said as she headed out the door.

Somewhere on the other side of town, Ames White sat in front of a computer. A picture of Asha was on the screen. A Familiar walked into the room holding a folder. "Sir, the girl's IQ is off the charts and she's near perfect genetically. We managed to get her records from her ob-gyn appointments, there's some concern about her blood pressure, but it doesn't seem to be a huge problem. Should we start organizing?" he asked. "No, not yet. Let the mutant think it's all happily ever after for a few more months before we snatch it all away," White said. "This child could prove to be very valuable to us. We already know how special the child of a normal human and a transgenic can be, imagine what a child of a transgenic and the cream of the crop in the naturally born human population will be. We can't risk letting this one slip through our hands by making rash decisions. Patience my friend, it will be well worth the wait."

Alec entered the bathroom and found his wife relaxing in a tub full of bubbles. "Hey you started without me," Alec said as he eased in opposite her. Asha giggled as Alec pressed his lips to the soles of each of her feet then began gently massaging them. She sighed contentedly as he paid special attention to her swollen ankles, and then worked his way up to her calves. "Alec, what was really in that package Max delivered? And please don't insult my intelligence again by saying it was really from Normal," she said. Alec said, "I won't, but really it was nothing I can't handle. My first priority is to keep you and the baby healthy and happy. Please just trust me and let this go for our baby's sake, I don't want you worrying and getting all stressed out." She nodded her head in agreement and they fell into a comfortable silence.

"You ready to get out?" Alec asked while still massaging Asha's legs. "No, that feels too good to give up," she murmured. "The water's getting cold, and you know you can have massages anytime you want," Alec said as he got out of the tub and dried himself off. He then grabbed a towel for Asha, helped her up, and wrapped it around her. Asha sat down on the bed and sneezed loudly. Alec immediately went into an overprotective rant, "Are you ok? If you're not feeling well we don't have to go." "Chill out, I'm fine. Geez, it was just a sneeze...probably from dust or something," she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek, "You're nuts and overprotective, but I love you. I'm going to get dressed."

Alec quickly dressed and sat down to wait for Asha. What should have been an easy task turned into a nightmare. "Ugh, nothing fits! I can't go anywhere, I don't have anything to wear!" screamed Asha, as she tried unsuccessfully to button her jeans. "Well I told you to go buy some maternity clothes," Alec said. Asha's eyes shot daggers at him, "I refuse to walk around looking like a clown in polka dots, stripes, and overalls. When maternity clothes become fashion forward, I'll think about it. Now help me or shut the hell up." "Ok, sorry. Don't get so upset, we'll work it out," he said as he got up and began searching in a drawer for something.

"Here," he said as he approached Asha holding a rubber band. "What am I supposed to do with that?" she asked. "This," he said as he hooked one end of the rubber band on the button of her jeans, then threaded the other end through the button hole, and stretched that end back around the button. "There, problem solved. Oh wait," he said as he pulled one of his white, button down shirts out of a drawer, "put this on. It'll cover the rubber band and you look damn sexy in my shirts." "No I don't, I'm a cow," Asha said as she put the shirt on and bit her bottom lip like she always did when she was feeling self-conscious. Alec came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "You are not a cow, you're beautiful. You're even more gorgeous now than you were before you were pregnant," Alec said as he kissed her neck. "Flattery will get you everywhere Mr. Barlow. Are you ready to go?" she said. "Yeah, we better head out. You know it will take you forever to waddle over there," he said. Asha playfully smacked him in the back of the head and they headed over to Logan's apartment.

"Hey mama!" Logan said as he drew Asha into a hug and kissed her cheek, "How's my godson?" "It could be your goddaughter, and he or she is hungry so feed me already," Asha replied. "The bad news is, I forgot to turn on the oven so dinner's going to be at least another hour. The good news is, if you're really hungry right now I'll make you something to hold you until then," Logan said. "Um Logan, are you having a memory lapse or something? First of all I'm Asha, so that alone should tell you I'm hungry right now. Second, I'm pregnant. You might want to get to work now," she said as she made her way to the living room and sat down beside her husband. "A woman with an appetite, nothing sexier than that," Alec said with a laugh. "Asha what do you want to eat?" Logan asked. "A grilled cheese sandwich with pickles please," she answered sweetly. "Ewww!" Logan, Alec, and Max said in unison as they all visibly cringed at the thought of it.

Asha enjoyed her sandwich while everyone else looked on in disgust. She pouted and convinced Alec to taste it, he was surprised that it was actually pretty good. They sat down to dinner an hour later like one big happy family. After dinner they sat around talking and laughing, and Alec and Max watched Asha kick Logan's ass in chess several times. As usual, Logan quickly went back into work mode. "Alec, would you mind hanging around and helping with some research? I'm helping the S1W with something and there are a lot of files to read through," said Logan. "No problem. Baby do you want me to take you home first? Or do you want to just go in the guest room and get some rest?" Alec asked.

Asha glared at him like he'd said the most stupid thing in the world. "Neither, I can help with the research," she said. "But your blood pressure..." said Alec before Asha cut him off. "Is fine. Alec I'm pregnant, not dying. It's not like I just said I was going to take your motorcycle for a spin, I am fully capable of reading through some files. I love you very much, but if you don't stop this overprotective thing I'm going to have to hurt you," she said with a smile. Max and Logan snickered and handed Asha some files. After an hour or so Alec looked over to find Asha fast asleep with a file folder resting on her stomach. He smiled, even when she was in a hormonal rage she made him happy.

Two months passed, and there were no other signs of what White was up to. Everything continued normally. Logan couldn't find any information on what White could possibly be up to. Just when they started to let their guard down, it happened again. There was another package from White, identical to the first. Alec was worried. He didn't know what White was up to, so he had no idea what to do or how to protect his wife and his child. He couldn't sleep, so he watched her instead. He got out of bed, being careful not to wake the sleeping beauty beside him.

He sat on the living room couch staring at the paper. Hours later he heard Asha shuffle sleepily from the bedroom and he quickly put the paper away. He looked over and smiled at the sight before him. A very sleepy Asha was rubbing her eyes. She had on nothing but panties and one of his white shirts, with only the first three buttons done, it exposed her well-rounded tummy. She had let her hair grow over the months, so golden waves cascaded past her shoulders. Pregnant women really did glow, and she was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. He took her hand and pulled her into his lap. She wiggled and sighed as she finally got comfortable, and buried her head in that space between his neck and shoulder that she loved so much.

"What are you doing up? Are you hungry?" he asked. She shook her head "no". "Thirsty? Headache? Baby kicking too much? Back hurting again?" he asked again. Again she shook her head "no". "Well what do you need then?" he asked, not expecting an answer. She lifted her head from his shoulder and whispered with her lips ever so slightly brushing his ear, "you." He smiled and kissed her softly. If he had known it would be the last time he would make love to her, he would have made that moment last forever...he would have held on for dear life and never let her go.

* * *

"Hey!" Alec yelled as he felt the swift kick to his lips, "I was just trying to say good morning!" He tried again, only to be greeted with another kick. "Fine, this is how you treat your father?" he said. "No, that's how you protect mommy when crazy daddy wakes her too early in the morning," Asha said, her voice heavy with sleep. "I'm sorry, but it's time for you to get up anyway. If we don't get going we'll be late for work," Alec said. He kissed Asha's tummy once more, this time he didn't get kicked. He moved up the bed to lie down beside Asha and rested his forehead against hers. He took her hand in his and kissed each of her delicate fingers, as he watched her heavy eyelids drift closed again.

Alec brushed a piece of hair behind her ear, and then began to plant kisses on every bit of her skin he could get to. "I'm trying to make this as pleasant for you as possible," he said between kisses, "I know how you hate to wake up in the morning, but you have to." "No! I'm not going, I don't feel so good," she whined, "My back hurts, and I have a headache." She added a pout for good measure; it always got to him. Alec immediately began to panic. "Wha-what should I do? Oh no, you're going into labor! I should call the doctor, or get you to a hospital, or help you breathe, or..." he said. "Alec!" she yelled, "I'm not going into labor. It's just a regular old backache. The doctor said I'm not the least bit dilated yet, and there's a whole month left before my due date."

He breathed a sigh of relief. Alec left the room and returned with a bottle of Tylenol and a glass of water. "Aww, poor baby," he said as he took two pills from the bottle and handed them to Asha along with the glass of water. She gratefully accepted the pills and washed them down, and then she lay back down on her side with her back to him. He sat down on the bed beside her and gently massaged her aching back. "Stay with me," she said breathlessly. "You don't know how much I wish I could stay home and make you feel better baby, but Normal will fire me if I miss another day so I better get going," he said as he kissed her cheek.

"He won't fire you if I ask him," she said with syrupy sweetness. Alec laughed, "I'm sure he wouldn't, but all the guys already hate me because I'm married to the most beautiful woman alive. Imagine what they would think if you were getting special favors for me at work too. Besides, we need the money to support your appetite," he said as he pat her belly. She let out a disappointed sigh and wriggled a bit to get more comfortable. "I love you both and I'll be straight home after work. I promise," he said, placing one last kiss on her cheek and adjusting the pillows supporting her back and tummy, making sure she was all tucked in and as comfortable as a pregnant woman could be. "Love you too," she said as she drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face.

"She's alone, should we move in?" asked one of the Familiars. "No, it's too risky. If she gets excited her blood pressure will skyrocket, that could harm the child. We can't risk that, we need the child alive and healthy if it's going to prove to be a valuable asset to us," answered White. "Well what should we do?" the Familiar asked. "We'll have to ease her into it. Go after the X5 instead. Use him as the bait to get the kid. We'll hold him and then force her to choose," said White.

Asha was awakened by the sound of someone approaching the bedroom door. She didn't know why, but something felt wrong. She automatically went for the Desert Eagle 357 magnum she kept in the nightstand on her side of the bed and trained it on the door. The door squeaked as it opened slowly, Asha cocked the gun and steadied her aim. She wouldn't miss; she never missed. "Whoa Asha, put the gun down it's just me," Max said as she entered the bedroom. Asha blinked a couple of times to clear her blurry vision and then put the gun back in its place, "Max you scared the shit out of me. What are you doing here?" "I was hoping Alec was here, I need his help with something but he never came back after lunch. Sorry I woke you, I'll let you get back to sleep," Max said as she turned to leave. Asha was overcome with a feeling of terror; she looked over at the clock. It was 8:00 pm and he was hours late. "Wait Max something's wrong, he promised me he would be straight home after work, he never showed up," Asha said.

Max could see that Asha was starting to panic. "I found this on the coffee table, maybe he left it for you," Max said as she handed Asha a plain white envelope. Asha took the envelope and slowly opened it. Max looked on as Asha's hands began to tremble, and all color drained from her face. "Asha? What is it?" she asked. Asha's eyes flooded with tears as she slowly handed the piece of paper to Max. It said, "Care to make a trade?" and had the symbol of the Familiars on it. Asha and Max both knew what it meant; White had Alec.

Alec winced in pain as he tried to sit up. He quickly shut his eyes against the bright lights that invaded them. He was finally able to take in his surroundings. The cell was stark white, with nothing in it except an uncomfortable cot. "Shit!" he yelled as he remembered how he ended up there. He was on his way back from lunch when a group of Familiars jumped him. He put up a fight, but in the end one transgenic was no match for six Familiars. One minute he was fighting for his life and the next he was waking up in a stark white cell. His very next thought was of Asha, he had promised her he would be straight home after work.

She hadn't been feeling well that morning, and he mentally kicked himself for leaving her. He could hear her voice as if she were right there with him. "Stay with me" she had said, and for once he had actually said no to her...and it was the worst decision he'd ever made. "I'm so sorry baby," he said to himself. She was probably worried sick wondering where he was. Suddenly it dawned on him, he thought it was a dream but he had heard one of the Familiars mention a baby while they were transporting him here. They were after his child, and Asha was vulnerable without him. He had to get back to her, no matter what.

It had been over a week since Alec was kidnapped. Max, Logan, and Asha all knew what White was after and there was no way they were letting him get what he wanted. They immediately began trying to locate Alec and devise a plan to get him back. Asha was strong; no one could deny her that. She never let anyone see her cry; she kept up the illusion of being happy. Inside she was falling apart. She felt like a part of her was missing without him. "You know you don't have to do this," Logan said as he sat down beside Asha. "Do what?" she asked. "This. Pretending that everything is fine, pretending that you're not hurting, shutting down your emotions and bottling everything up inside," he replied. Asha was getting annoyed and he could see it in her eyes. She didn't want to talk about it, she started to say something but Logan stopped her.

"Before you say anything, know that I'm only bringing this up because I love you. It kills me to see you like this. That façade you put up may fool everybody else, but I've known you all your life. I know that you're barely eating, you're hardly sleeping, and when you do it's only after you're all cried out. I'm here for you. If you need a shoulder to cry on, someone to hit, someone to stay up with you when you can't sleep. It doesn't matter what it is, I'm here, all you have to do is say the word," he said. Asha sighed. She wanted to argue with him, but she knew he was right and she just didn't have the energy anyway. Instead, she just gave him a weak smile and rested her head on his shoulder. Logan put his arm around her and they just sat there, not saying anything. That was all she needed.

Alec paced the small room. He was going nuts in there. Thinking of Asha was the only thing keeping him sane. He had checked and double-checked the room to try and find a way out. There were no windows, no vents, and no way to open the door from the inside. Once a day a guard came in to deliver a tray of food. It was risky; Alec had no idea what the layout of the building was or how many other guards there were. It was his only chance, and he was damn sure going to take it.

Max and Logan had managed to determine Alec's location. Logan busied himself getting blueprints of the building, but he still had no idea how many guards were in the place. Sending Max in alone wasn't a good idea, so Asha called in her S1W friends and they were more than happy to help. Max also organized a small group of transgenics to help out. They finalized their plans and got their supplies ready. They were bringing Alec home.

Alec had knocked the first guard out when he was setting the tray near the door. He never knew what hit him. He took a set of keys and a stun gun off the guard, just in case they would come in handy later. He had gotten past two more guards without being seen, or so he thought. Just when he was in sight of the exit, he found himself surrounded by White and a group of about fifteen Familiars. There was no way he could fight them all off, but he would try anything to see her again. He was fighting as hard as he could, but it was no use. He was beat up pretty badly and was starting to get tired when all of a sudden he heard a crash. "Alec I'm disappointed, you started the party without me," Max said as she helped him to his feet.

"Don't worry sis, there's plenty left for you," he said. "452 I'm disappointed, I thought you were smarter than that. You of all people should know that the two of you don't stand a chance against us," White said. "Maybe not, but how do you feel about fifty?" Max said as the S1W members and transgenics streamed into the building, surrounding the familiars. "Now that's what I call getting the party started right!" Alec exclaimed.

"Well welcome home," Logan said as Max and a bruised but very happy Alec walked through the door, "she's in the guestroom sleeping." He knew Alec's mind was on nothing but Asha. "Thanks for taking care of her for me," Alec said with a smile as he headed off to the guestroom. Alec held his breath as he took in the sight of his wife sleeping. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he thought there was a chance that he would never see her again. She was so beautiful he didn't even want to wake her. Instead he crawled into bed and gently coaxed her into his arms.

An hour later, Max and Logan heard the loud thump of a body hitting the floor and Asha screaming. "Oh my god you scared the shit out of me! What the hell is wrong with you!" Asha screamed. "Ow! I'm sorry! You were so cute I didn't want to wake you," Alec said as he approached Asha and tried to kiss her. Instead of soft lips, he was greeted with a punch in the arm. "What was that for?" he asked as he slowly backed out of the room. "Because you scared me! And you made me worry about you! And I thought I'd never see you again and I'd have to raise this baby all alone! And you told me you'd be straight home after work you dumb ass!" she yelled, ending each point by punching him again.

When she finally finished ranting, tears were streaming down her face. She fell into Alec's arms and he held her tightly against his chest. "I'm sorry sweetie, I promise I'll never do it again. Next time I'll get us both kidnapped so we can be together," he said. She laughed and playfully punched him again. "You know you made it home just in time," she said softly. "Really? In time for what?" he asked. "In time to see the birth of your son or daughter. My water just broke," she said. Alec didn't know what to do other than stare at the puddle on the floor with his mouth open. He couldn't move, he couldn't talk, he couldn't even think straight. What Asha thought had been a constant backache and cramps, turned out to be the first stage of labor and now it was time for her to give birth. Logan could see that Alec was in shock, and Asha was beginning to experience some pain so he decided to take over. "Max can you call Dr. Crawford and let her know what's going on? Asha you come with me. Walking is supposed to help with delivery, do you feel up to it?" he asked. Asha nodded a "yes". "Alec, you can join us when you pick your face up off the floor. We'll be going up and down the hallway," he said as he led Asha out the door.

Her contractions were becoming more painful and Asha was becoming increasingly irritable, so they gave up on walking and decided to try warm water instead. Alec had collected himself and sat in the bathroom massaging her back as she tried unsuccessfully to relax in the bathtub. When her contractions were about 3 minutes apart, they abandoned the water idea and tried different positions instead. Asha was on all fours on the bed, while Alec continued to rub her back and annoy her by talking too much and telling her to breathe. She didn't want to breathe, all she wanted was to stop the pain and get that baby out of her. "Alec, if you don't shut the hell up I'm going to kick your ass! Ow!" she yelled, as another contraction hit her. Alec just stood there looking like a lost puppy. He really was lost; he had never dealt with a pregnant woman before. One minute she was yelling at him to leave her alone, the next she was whining because she wanted him near her.

Max had called Original Cindy after she called Dr. Crawford and she had come over right away to help. Dr. Crawford had finally arrived and Original Cindy ushered her back to the guest room. "How are you doing Asha? I'm sorry about the delay, I had another delivery," Dr. Crawford said as she entered the room. Asha just grunted in response. Dr. Crawford chuckled, "Ok, Mr. Barlow, I need you to help me get her settled on the bed so I can see how far she's dilated." Logan left the room to give Asha some privacy while Dr. Crawford checked her out. "Good, you're fully dilated, that means you can start pushing soon," she said.

"Alec? I don't feel so good. It hurts and I think I'm going to be sick," Asha said in a child-like voice, her eyes pleading with him to do something. She was shaky and very uncomfortable, and Alec wished he could take away all her pain but there was nothing he could do and it frustrated him. "I know it hurts baby, I'm sorry. Don't worry, it will all be over soon," he said, trying to reassure her. "Is there anything we can do?" Max asked. She and Original Cindy had remained in the room at Asha's request. "Sure, I'll need each of you to hold one of her legs. It's time to push," Dr. Crawford answered. Max and Original Cindy did as she asked, while Alec remained beside his wife.

"Ok Asha, push when you feel the next contraction," Dr. Crawford said. Asha nodded. The next contraction hit and Asha pushed as hard as she could. Her knuckles were white from squeezing Alec's hand. The doctor gave her the ok to stop pushing and she panted with exhaustion. Alec provided encouraging words and wiped the sweat from her face with a cool cloth. Things continued like that for almost an hour. Asha became increasingly irritable and foul mouthed with each cycle of pushing. "I can't believe I fucking let you do this to me! If you ever make me do this shit again I'll fucking kill you! You are never touching me again!" Asha yelled. Max and Original Cindy giggled at the look of hurt on Alec's face. "Don't worry Alec, she doesn't mean it. That's just the pain talking," Max whispered to him. "Damn, OC didn't know Blondie had it in her. She looks too sweet to have a mouth like that," Original Cindy said.

"You're doing great Asha, I can see the head now. Just a few more pushes and you'll be holding your baby in your arms. Now I need you to give it all you've got ok?" Dr. Crawford said. Asha was exhausted; she just wanted it all to be over. Alec positioned himself behind her so he could help support her while she pushed. Max and Original Cindy were still holding her legs. When it was time to push again, Asha did as Dr. Crawford had asked and pushed with all the strength she had left. Just as promised, the sound of the baby crying soon filled the room. "It's a girl! Would you like to cut the umbilical cord Mr. Barlow?" Dr. Crawford asked excitedly. Alec kissed the top of Asha's head and then went to cut the cord. Dr. Crawford cleaned the baby up, wrapped her in a blanket, and then placed her on Asha's chest.

Tears streamed down Asha's face as she took in the sight of her little girl. Even Alec had tears in his eyes. While Dr. Crawford busied herself cleaning Asha up, Max went to retrieve Logan. She found him pacing in the living room. "Hey, come see your goddaughter," she said to him with a smile. He entered the room and found Asha and Alec with cheesy grins plastered to their faces, amazed by the sight of their newborn child. "Wow, look what you did," Alec whispered to his happy but exhausted wife. "She's beautiful isn't she?" Asha said. "Gorgeous, just like her mother. Thank you for this, for her. I love you so much," Alec said, as he kissed Asha on the cheek. Max, Original Cindy, and Logan all crowded around the bed to get a good look at the miracle that had just entered their lives, and Dr. Crawford quietly made her exit.

"She has your eyes and mouth Asha," Max said. "Yup, I think she's going to be a little heartbreaker just like her mother," Logan said with a wink. "What are you going to name her?" Original Cindy asked. With Alec getting kidnapped, they hadn't really had time to decide on a name. "How do you feel about Ashley?" Asha asked Alec, finally breaking the silence, "I was thinking we could stick with the 'A' theme we seem to have going." "I love it. So Ashley it is. How about Jordan for a middle name? That's what I had in mind for a boy," Alec said. "Ashley Jordan Barlow," Asha said to the baby, testing the sound of it, "I love it. So Ashley Jordan Barlow, what do you think about it?" The baby smiled. "I think she likes it," Alec said. They all giggled.

Asha dressed her daughter in a onesie then let everyone have a turn holding her. After everyone had his or her turn, she was handed back to her mother. Asha yawned and the baby began to cry, instinctively turning her head toward Asha's breasts. "Somebody's hungry," Alec said, "okay everybody get out, nobody's getting a sneak peek at my wife's boobs except me and our daughter." Everyone congratulated the new parents one last time before leaving the room to give them some privacy. "Ow ow ow ow ow!" Asha hissed through clinched teeth as she began to nurse her daughter for the first time, "Does everything have to hurt so much?" "Yeah, I got off easy. What can I do to make it up to you?" Alec asked. "How are you at breastfeeding?" she joked. "I don't think I have the right equipment to do that darling," Alec said with a laugh, "How about a lifetime of foot rubs and back massages anytime you want?" "I can live with that," she replied.

Alec just sat there watching his daughter nurse. He couldn't believe he was actually a father. He had never even dreamed that his life would ever be this wonderful. He kissed Asha's cheek and she rested her head on his shoulder and yawned. "That had to be the most amazing thing I've ever seen," Alec said when their daughter was full and happy. The baby yawned, mimicking her mother and quickly drifted off to sleep. Alec gently took her from Asha's arms and placed her in the bassinette that was set up in the room. "You and mommy had a long day, you both need your sleep," he said as he kissed the sleeping child then turned all his attention to his wife.

"Come on, lie down," he said to Asha as he crawled into bed beside her. She gladly complied, turning on her side to face him. He brushed a piece of hair behind her ear, took her hand in his, and kissed each of her fingers just as he had on the morning he left her. "I love you," he whispered as he softly kissed her lips. She smiled tiredly and whispered, "Stay with me." "Forever baby, forever. Now sleep. You've been through a lot today," he said as he watched her close her eyes and drift off with a smile on her face. It had been a long day for him too, and he soon followed her lead.

Fin


	6. Epilogue

Alec lay in bed staring at the lightening flashes coming through the window. He listened for the low rumble of thunder that followed, and then looked over at his wife, hoping the noise would wake her. He smiled as he took in the sight of her. She was sleeping soundly on her stomach; her bare back was fully exposed. The sheet that had once covered her completely had been kicked off during the warm midsummer night and it now rested below the tattoo on the small of her back, just barely covering her bare bottom...taunting him. Alec suddenly found himself thanking the heavens that she liked to sleep nude. The lightening flashed again, illuminating her petal soft skin and he couldn't resist the urge to gently pull the sheet down just a little further. He managed to expose one beautiful long leg before she stirred at the feel of the sheet sliding against her skin and pulled it back over herself.

Alec sighed; she was making this hard. He wanted her; he always wanted her. It was amazing how soon she had gotten her figure back after the baby was born, not that she was ever any less beautiful to him. He cuddled up beside her and began to softly kiss his way down her spine. She began to giggle when he got down to her tattoo and traced it with his tongue. "Ha! I caught you. I know you're awake, you can stop faking now," he said, as he flipped her onto her back and positioned himself on top of her. "I was really asleep until you decided to bother me, now get off," she said. Instead of answering he began to kiss and lick his way down her body and she didn't complain. He worked his way back up, and just as they were both ready for him to slide into her the thunder boomed loudly. They both sighed disappointedly. They knew what would come next, and they were right. They heard the loud wails of their now 15-month-old daughter over the baby monitor.

"It's your turn to go get Ashley," he said, still on top of her. "No it's not, it's your turn," she protested. "I did it last time," he said. "Yeah, well I gave birth to her," she said. "Well I got kidnapped before you gave birth to her so it's your turn," he said. "Yeah? Well, I'm pregnant," she said with a smile. He was about to make a snappy comeback when what she said finally hit him. "You're what? Did you just say you were pregnant? You're joking right?" he asked. "I'm serious, I'm six weeks pregnant Alec," she said as she reached over to pull the positive pregnancy test from her night table drawer, "The doctor confirmed it today. I was going to surprise you with the news tomorrow." He smiled and then kissed her passionately. "Ok, you win, it's my turn to go get Ashley. I guess it's my turn for the next seven and a half months too. You're amazing you know that? I love you so much," he said kissing her again.

She giggled as he laid his head on her stomach as if he were listening for the baby's heartbeat. "You go back to sleep, you--I mean both of you, need your rest now. I'll take care of Ashley," he said as he kissed her forehead and pulled the covers over her. "I love you too," she said, before she turned back over on her stomach. He smiled and made his way out of the room to go take care of their daughter. She had made him the happiest man in the world for the fourth time. First she loved him, then she married him, then she made him a father, and now she was going to make him a father again. Just when he thought he couldn't get any happier, she always surprised him with something.

Fin


End file.
